The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EHS) implemented a new college safety training policy for the 2019-20 academic year.
Under the new policy, any student seeking employment in a department must undergo safety training each school year.
“Previously, there was no safety training for students beyond what individual departments might have requested,” Employment Specialist Audrey Turner said.
With the new policy in place, EHS envisions a higher standard that each employer must meet to ensure the safety of their workers, Turner said.
St. Olaf Human Resources conducted a student employment review, which led directly to the creation of the new training policy for the 2019-20 school year.
“We wanted to ensure we are helping our student employees gain the knowledge and resources to work as safely as possible,” Turner said.
The training is incorporated into Moodle to allow easy access and minimize both employer and employee time commitments, according to EHS. While every employer must present basic training to their workers, additional training will be necessary for some positions.
“There will be some students that hold positions that may require additional training with our EHS,” Turner said.
Positions which may require additional training include jobs where students are required to handle various chemicals or climb ladders.
“The effect is, hopefully, a safer work environment for all,” Turner said.
